balance
balance — verb
1. to stay steady without falling, or to place something so that it stays steady.
to stay steady without falling, or to place something so that it stays steady.
Mira balanced on the low wall while tying her shoe.
balance on + narrow surface
The waiter balanced three soup bowls on one arm.
balance + object + on + body part
A red pencil balanced on the edge of the desk.
To cross the stream, Leo balanced carefully on two wet stones.
The mechanic balanced the spare tire on a wooden box.
- balance on one foot
- balance on a wall
- balance a tray
- balance a box on your head
Grammar Patterns
balance on + noun
balance + noun + on + noun
Usage Note
Intransitive use often takes 'on' to show the narrow surface or point of support. In transitive use, the object is usually something easy to drop, such as a tray, box, or wheel.
Common Mistakes
2. to divide your effort or resources between different demands and keep any one of
to divide your effort or resources between different demands and keep any one of them from taking over.
Nadia balances teaching with caring for her two young children.
balance A with B
The cafe must balance low prices against rising food costs.
balance A against B
Our team balanced speed and safety during the bridge repair.
Even on holiday, Jin balances family time and work calls.
A good mayor balances local needs with long-term city plans.
- balance work and family
- balance cost against quality
- balance speed with safety
- carefully balance priorities
Grammar Patterns
balance A with B
balance A against B
Usage Note
This sense usually names two competing needs after the verb, often with 'with' or 'against'. Distinguish from sense 3 and sense 4, which are specifically about accounts, budgets, or spending.
Common Mistakes
3. to check an account or set of records and make the money coming in match the mon
to check an account or set of records and make the money coming in match the money going out.
Each Friday, Priya balances the shop account before going home.
balance + account
After lunch, Rosa balanced last month's sales record for the bakery.
balance + financial record
Before the meeting, the hotel balanced every room account by hand.
Ben stayed late to balance the club account for April.
At the end of June, the farm balanced its feed account.
- balance an account
- balance the books
- balance sales records
- balance by hand
Grammar Patterns
balance + account
balance + records
Usage Note
The object is usually an account, a set of books, or another record of money. Distinguish from sense 4: sense 3 is the checking step, while sense 4 is the broader aim of not spending too much.
4. to manage costs so you do not spend more than you earn or receive.
to manage costs so you do not spend more than you earn or receive.
After losing one job, Elena balanced the family budget by cutting travel costs.
balance + budget by + -ing
The town balanced its books without raising bus fares.
balance the books
To balance their budget, the couple stopped eating out on weekdays.
Rising rent made it harder for Sam to balance his monthly budget.
The school balanced its spending with the money from ticket sales.
- balance the budget
- balance the books
- balance monthly spending
- balance spending with income
- overspend
to spend more money than you have planned or received
- run a deficit
to end with spending higher than income
Grammar Patterns
balance + budget
balance + books
balance + spending with + income
Usage Note
The object is usually a budget, books, spending, or finances. Distinguish from sense 3, where you check account figures directly rather than control overall costs.
Common Mistakes
balance — noun
1. the skill of keeping your body upright without falling, with your weight held st
the skill of keeping your body upright without falling, with your weight held steady as you stand, walk, or move.
Eva lost her balance on the icy step outside the station.
lose your balance
After the push, Noah kept his balance and stayed on the ladder.
keep your balance
The dance teacher trained the class to improve their balance.
A strong wave knocked Priya off balance near the rocks.
off balance
- lose your balance
- keep your balance
- regain your balance
- throw someone off balance
- steadiness
a plain word for not shaking or falling
- equilibrium
more formal and often used in science or medicine
- instability
lack of physical steadiness
- unsteadiness
the state of being shaky or close to falling
Grammar Patterns
lose/keep/regain your balance
throw [someone] off balance
Usage Note
Often follows verbs such as 'keep', 'lose', 'regain', and 'throw'. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about fairness between things rather than bodily steadiness.
Common Mistakes
2. a state in which different needs, interests, or parts stay in fair or suitable a
a state in which different needs, interests, or parts stay in fair or suitable amounts instead of one side having too much.
The coach helped Mia find a balance between schoolwork and tennis practice.
a balance between [two things]
Good parents keep a balance between rules and kindness at home.
The menu strikes a balance between low prices and fresh food.
strike a balance
There must be a balance between work and rest on the trip.
- find a balance
- keep a balance
- strike a balance
- a balance between work and rest
- equilibrium
more formal; often used for stable systems or ideas
- proportion
focuses on the right relative amount of each part
- fairness
stresses equal treatment more than equal amount
- imbalance
too much weight or importance on one side
Grammar Patterns
a balance between [two things]
strike/find/keep a balance
Usage Note
Usually appears with 'between' when two sides are compared, or with verbs such as 'find', 'keep', and 'strike'. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about staying upright.
Common Mistakes
3. in the phrase 'on balance', used when you give a final opinion after comparing t
in the phrase 'on balance', used when you give a final opinion after comparing the main facts for and against something.
On balance, the family chose the smaller flat near the station.
fixed phrase: on balance
The train is slower, but on balance it is the cheaper choice.
On balance, Mr. Wu thinks the new plan will work better.
The idea seemed odd, yet on balance it could save time.
- on balance
- on balance, ...
- overall
shorter and less formal when giving a general judgment
- all things considered
a longer phrase with the same summarizing function
Grammar Patterns
on balance, ...
..., but on balance ...
Usage Note
Only used in the fixed phrase 'on balance', usually near the start of a sentence or clause. Distinguish from sense 2, which names the fair state itself rather than the final judgment.
Common Mistakes
4. the money still left in an account, bill, or fund, or the part of a total that r
the money still left in an account, bill, or fund, or the part of a total that remains after some has been used or paid.
Nina checked her balance before paying for the train tickets online.
check your balance
After one payment, the balance on the bill was fifty dollars.
the balance on [a bill/account]
Our class still has a small balance left in the trip fund.
The bank app shows your balance at the top of the screen.
- check your balance
- account balance
- the balance on the bill
- a balance of fifty dollars
- remainder
more general word for what is left after part is taken away
- amount due
used when the remaining sum still needs to be paid
- funds
broader word for money available to use
Grammar Patterns
check your balance
a balance of [amount]
the balance on [a bill/account]
Usage Note
Often used for bank accounts, bills, and funds, and commonly follows verbs such as 'check', 'show', and 'pay off'. Distinguish from sibling noun/5, where 'balance' means the money handed back after a purchase.
Common Mistakes
5. cash a seller gives back when you hand over more than the price of what you are
cash a seller gives back when you hand over more than the price of what you are buying.
The cashier counted out my change and placed two coins on the tray.
cash payment: count out change
After buying the sandwich, Nora waited for her balance at the counter.
Please take your balance before you leave the ticket window.
service use: take your balance
After the bus fare, the driver handed Sam his balance in coins.
There was no balance to collect because Leo paid the exact amount.
- take your balance
- give someone their balance
- balance in coins
- no balance to collect
Grammar Patterns
give [someone] their balance
take your balance
Usage Note
Often follows a possessive, especially 'your' or 'my', in shops, taxis, and ticket windows. Distinguish from sense 4: that sense is money still in an account or left over, not cash handed back in a sale.
Common Mistakes
6. on speakers, headphones, or other music equipment, the setting or sound relation
on speakers, headphones, or other music equipment, the setting or sound relationship that decides how much you hear from each side.
Ben turned the balance left when the right speaker sounded too loud.
set the balance left/right
The DJ checked the balance before the school concert began.
check the balance
My headphones need better balance because voices come from one side.
During the test, the teacher adjusted the balance on the music player.
adjust the balance
- adjust the balance
- check the balance
- left-right balance
- speaker balance
Grammar Patterns
adjust/check/set the balance
set the balance left/right
Usage Note
Usually appears with verbs such as 'adjust', 'check', and 'set', and often with 'left' or 'right'. This sense belongs to audio equipment, not fairness or money.
Common Mistakes
7. a weighing tool with one pan on each side of a central beam, used to compare how
a weighing tool with one pan on each side of a central beam, used to compare how heavy two things are.
In science class, Nora used a balance to compare two small rocks.
use a balance to weigh [something]
The shopkeeper put rice on one side of the balance and weights on the other.
The gold seller checked the ring on a small balance by the window.
Old markets often kept a balance beside the cash box.
- use a balance
- weigh on a balance
- a brass balance
- a balance with two pans
- scales
the more common everyday word for weighing equipment
- beam scale
more exact term for this older two-pan type
Grammar Patterns
use a balance to weigh [something]
put [something] on the balance
Usage Note
Countable and often used with verbs such as 'use', 'put', 'weigh', and 'compare'. Distinguish from modern 'scale', which can also mean an electronic weighing machine.
Common Mistakes
This phrase is used when you look at all the facts from both sides to decide what is most likely true or to happen.
On the balance of evidence, the jury found him not guilty.
The doctor said that on the balance of probabilities, the patient will recover.
If something is in the balance, its future or result is uncertain and could go either way.
The team's championship hopes hung in the balance after the star player got injured.
Her career is in the balance while she waits for the job interview results.
To make someone unsteady or surprised, so they are not in control of their movements or thoughts.
The sudden loud noise caught Sara off balance and she dropped her coffee cup.
Diego was thrown off balance by the unexpected question from the reporter.
on balance
idiomAfter thinking about all the different facts or opinions, this is the overall conclusion.
On balance, I think moving to a new city was the right decision for my family.
The movie had some slow parts, but on balance, it was entertaining.
redress the balance
idiomTo make a situation fair again by giving an advantage to the side that was at a disadvantage.
The new scholarship program aims to redress the balance for students from low-income families.
To redress the balance, the company hired more women for leadership roles.
To find a reasonable middle point between two opposing things or needs.
Maya tries to strike a balance between work and spending time with her children.
The government must strike a balance between economic growth and environmental protection.
To cause a change in a situation, making one side more likely to succeed or win.
A strong recommendation from a professor can tip the balance in your favor for a scholarship.
The last goal tipped the balance and gave our team the victory.
balance — idiom
used when you decide which explanation seems most likely after weighing the facts on each side.
On the balance of probabilities, the leak started after Friday's heavy rain.
The judge said the balance of evidence pointed to a faulty brake line.
used when a life, plan, or result is still uncertain and could go either way.
After the final vote count stopped, the mayor's future hung in the balance.
During the long operation, little Eva's life was in the balance.
to make someone lose steadiness or control for a moment, sometimes because they were not ready.
A loose floorboard threw Mira off balance as she carried the soup.
The reporter's last question caught the minister off balance before the cameras.
on balance
idiomall things considered, after you have looked at the good and bad points together.
On balance, Lena enjoyed the new job despite the longer train ride.
The hotel was small, but on balance we would stay there again.
redress the balance
idiomto correct an unfair difference so that each side is treated more equally again.
The grant aims to redress the balance for schools in poor areas.
Extra speaking time was given to redress the balance in the debate.
to find a middle way that gives proper weight to two different needs or views.
Parents try to strike a balance between screen time and outdoor play.
The plan strikes a balance between lower costs and safer buses.
to push the result toward one side so that one person, plan, or explanation is more likely to win.
A late goal tipped the balance in Spain's favor.
Higher bus costs could swing the balance against the plan.
Word family
- balancedadjectiveB2
- imbalancenounC1
- unbalancedadjectiveC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/2
For verb sense 2, balance suggests giving two or more demands a workable share of time, money, or attention, so that neither side is ignored. Juggle is more informal and often implies many pressures at once, sometimes with a hint of difficulty. Manage is broader and weaker: you can manage school and work without suggesting equal treatment. Weigh is closer to comparing options before a decision, not to living with both sides over time. Prioritize means putting one thing first, which is often the opposite move from balancing. You balance work and family, juggle three deadlines, weigh cost against safety, and prioritize rent over a weekend trip.
Etymology
Balance came into English from Old French balance, based on Latin bilanx, a word for a two-pan scale. The Latin form joins bi-, meaning 'two', and lanx, meaning 'plate' or 'pan'. The earliest idea was a weighing instrument, and from that English later developed the related senses of equal weight, steadiness, fairness, and financial matching.